The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-11-26
Row Ne LOST MS Arm.
Two Thrilling Polar Adventures and
Miraculous Escapea


1t is not an unusual thing to meet
one-armed man in these days of
improved buzz saws and rapid rail
way trains. 1t is not altogether
startling to meet two one-armed
men. But when you meet two such
men simultaneously, and those men
bosom friends Of each other as well
as yourself. and you find yourself
the only one of the jovial trio pos
scssed of the normal number of
upper limbs, the situation may be
called unique. This was my posi-
ton few evenings ago in the cafe
of an upper Broadway hotel. OPP
posite me sat Major Jay Porter, the
mining engineer, and Col. John +.
McWade, the opera singer, whom !
had not seen before in years. And
as they clinked their glasses in
Auld Lang Syne, the eyes of the
patrons of the place were attracted
to an empty sleeve which hung
upon the left side Of each.
l had always wanted to know
how they met with such terrible
and similar misfOrtunes, and, after
exhausting our mutual reminiscent
ces, took advantage of a tempo
rary lull in the conversation to
suggest the subject to the Major.
ayes, it is rather singular that
we should each have sustained such
loss. You are right, my boy, but
the story of that loss is still stranger.
You never heard? Pm not sur
prised, for it is a subject / seldom
allude to. But have no objections
to telling youjust how it happened. "
"SOme twenty years ago." con-
tinued the major, "when the colonel
was less than half his present age,
he determined to seek his fortune
OF the sea. He accordingly left
home one balmy spring night and
stole away to the nearest railway
station. Here he boarded train
for the coast. There he managed
to stow himself away on n whaling
vessel bound for the Arctic regions.
Within a week after weighing an
chor the o'onel was discovered and
dragged on deck. 1t SO happened
that the captain wanted a cabin boy,
and our friend was Immediately in
stalled in the place. Having had
in those days a rather bright intel
lect, hc soon won the captains ia
vor, and was given every opportu-
nifty to advancement. He knew
how to read and write, ard before
the voyage was half over he had
been promoted successfully from
cabin boy to cooks assistant, then
to be cook, ships carpenter, and
finally chief navigator. His sue
cess in each position was the talk
of the entire ship.
"One night they found themselves
pinned in between two massive
fields of ice, whittier they had beer
driven by a furious gale. The col
onel was suddenly aroused from
sleep by a tremendous crash. Ill
leaped from his berth clad only in
long red flannel nightgown, slip
ped on a pair of boots in his ex
citement, and snatching up hant
bac which was on a chair by hi.
side, made his way hurriedly to the
deck. He was appalled, at the scene
which met his frightened gaze. Th'
two blocks of ice were pressing tn
sides of the brave vessel with re
sistless force. He had no time tt
lose. Every second was precious
In an instant he had leaped from
the timbers to the ice. On his per
ilous way he instinctively clutche'
protruding bar with his righ
hand. After he reached the ice h
lost consciousness. 1t must hav
been several hours later when b
regained his senses. He looke'
around him. Not a vestige OF tn
vessel was to be seen. He alon
had escaped death. But what a
escape! Cast alone upon a field Q
ice. to freeze or starve, with not
soul within a thousand miles G
him! Think of it
"The law of self-prescrvation hov
ever. soon recalled the colonel t
I himself. Mechanically he opene
the satchel, in it he found pair c
n skates and nothing else. But eve
this was better than nothing.
afforded him a chance to keep frot
freezing, without much effort, a
least for a time, promptly buckle
them on. Then he discovered that
his other hand he had grasped
long bamboo fishing pole. Ther
he was in the Arctic sea with noti
ing but a red flannel night gown,
pair of boots, a pair of skates an
1 a fishing pole, q very poor chant
of saving his life, was it not?
with little hope to speak OF :
started on a tour Of inspection. II
skated over the entire field whic
< was about twenty miles in diam
ter, without stopping: As ne WI
passing over the left hand corne
going down he noticed o long Win,
n Object imbedded in the ice. ,i =
.tonned and examined it CAREFUL